


Sleep

by TugboatExpress



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-04 17:19:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12173343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TugboatExpress/pseuds/TugboatExpress
Summary: The Guardians of the Galaxy really, desperately need some sleep.





	Sleep

The sky is an exuberant display of light and colour as ship after ship sends fireworks exploding into the endless void of space. Sparkling and shifting and fizzling, these beautiful and lavish fireworks mark a disproportionately sad occasion. A funeral, for a Captain; a friend; a father. 

The loss of Yondu Udonta is felt on each ship. The wondrous light display heavily contrasts the general feeling of misery, but it is Ravager tradition to honour great beings with great spectacle. 

Watching the elaborate display is the saddest little team of misfits that one could possibly imagine. The loss of Yondu is felt most heavily here, as the ship's occupants stand, motionless, in front of a huge glass window. The lights outside cast tinted shadows across the faces of the mourners as they gaze out in silence.

Peter Quill, the leader of this sad, shabby group, is a suave and immature-yet-charming Terran. He's a self-proclaimed asshole who is notorious for joking and laughing. But not today. Today, he is a scared and regretful man who lost his father. Right now, he is a shadow of his usual self, completely devoid of charisma and filled to the brim with indescribable heartache. He stares, unseeing, out the window, and focuses very hard on keeping his composure.

Tucked under his arm is a fierce, hard, and immensely strong woman. Gamora knew nothing but pain and hardship her entire life. She has always known hatred and anguish. Because of her new family, she now knows kindness, and gentleness, and love. Today, she feels sadness. Just sadness. It is a feeling she has rarely experienced, but as she looks up at the face of Peter Quill, and around at the rest of her loved ones, she feels sadness in its entirety. Hardship creates anger, fury. Pain breeds desperation and rage. Sadness does not create anything but a pit in her stomach that is reminiscent of the emptiness she feels. She was never close to Yondu. But sadness spreads like a disease, until everyone is affected. One person's sorrow can amplify another's. Loss and the suffering of loved ones is new to Gamora, and she has never felt so unsure of herself. 

Drax has suffered the loss of loved ones before. He understand the depression and utter despair that comes along with losing someone forever. He stands, stoic as ever, and inwardly swears to himself that he will do his best to be supportive and caring through what he predicts will be an awful couple of days.

On his shoulder, fast asleep, is a tiny baby who is still too young to completely understand the gravity of this situation. Groot had seen sadness plastered across the faces of his family. He had not make the connection between the lights and the miserable mood aboard the ship, no matter how hard he tried. He was confused, because everyone was sad, and that made him sad, and he could not understand why everyone was so upset. Before he drifted off to sleep, he wondered where the blue man was. Now, Groot sleeps, dreamlessly and mercifully unaware.

Rocket looks out at the funerary display and becomes lost in thought. His life is a disaster. The only person, besides Groot, who ever understood him, is gone. He feels partially responsible. He thinks he could have done more; that everyone could have done more. Too many of Rocket's friends have sacrificed themselves. Too many people were heroes. Rocket looks at the fireworks and thinks that he will never have this. Nobody will care. Nobody will remember. He is not a hero. He lets his friends die. He caused them to die. He looks at his reflection and sees a monster. 

Mantis is terrified. She is all alone. She is worried. Even without touching anyone, she feels immense and suffocating misery aboard this ship. She understands, and she is sorry for the loss of a brave and caring man. Wringing her hands, she gazes upon the lights outside. Her master was always so hard and cruel, yet at other times so light. She has seen nothing but love within these new people. But she thinks about how deceptive her old master was, and worries. She worries and hopes and wishes with all of her heart that these new people are beings of genuine love. She knows better than anyone else how deceptive people can be. Yet, these people all seem to be genuinely devastated at the loss of their fellow, so they must be caring. But what if it is merely an elaborate act? Mantis wrings her hands, and thinks all of this, and fights with herself. She worries, and worries, and worries. 

Kraglin now stands with the rest of the group, peering out the window. He feels so many incredible and intense emotions at once, he thinks he may explode.

Nobody is speaking anymore. All heads are turned to the window, watching. Slowly, the funeral ends. The lights gradually fade, and ships peel off one by one, all going slowly in separate directions. Everyone remains standing, now staring into the infinite abyss of time and space. Peter, who has big, hot tears rolling down his cheeks, feels as though he must say something. He draws a shuddering breath, releases Gamora, and turns to face his remaining family. He does not attempt to hide his tears as he speaks.

"We'll set a course for Berhert. 'Be there tomorrow. I'll drive. Get some rest-"

"No," Drax says, quietly but firmly. "Gamora and I will pilot the ship." He says, looking at Gamora.

"Of course," she replies softly.

Immediately, Rocket, Peter, and even Kraglin protest. Drax silences them with a wave of his hand and insists they go immediately to find beds somewhere. Kraglin resigns and starts toward the ladder. He pauses, casting around for words, and then decides to simply do the Ravager salute. Then he turns and slowly disappears from sight.

Peter and Rocket, on the other hand, remain rooted to the spot. 

"We should drive," Peter protests, and Rocket gives a nod.

Gamora senses a fight emerging. "You can't - you... we can..." she stumbles over her words in an attempt to convince the boys to go. She is not yet adept at being soothing or soft. She does not know what to say.

Mantis steps forward, very tentatively. All heads turn in her direction. She is scared to interject. She does not feel like she belongs. Drax takes a step back and offers her a tired, sad, but genuine smile. Mantis looks at Rocket and Peter.

"Sleep is very effective for soothing emotions, at least temporarily. If you got some rest, then perhaps -"

"Oh, yeah, I'm gonna be fuckin' emotionally cleansed by SLEEP!" Peter shouts, and Mantis gasps.

"Peter!" Gamora yells, stepping partially in front of him. She thinks that Mantis will start crying or something, seeing as how fragile is. Instead, however, Mantis raises her voice in return.

"I think I know more about sleep than you! I was the one forced to ease a murderous lunatic into sleep every day of my life! I am only trying to help you!" she proclaims, in a voice that is dripping with hurt, but also passion. 

Peter looks down at the ground and Mantis stares at him. Everyone else looks back and forth between the two. For a few tense seconds, there is complete silence. Then Peter looks up and quietly says,

"I'm sorry. I know you were trying to help. Thank you for everything, Mantis. I mean it. I was a dick just then." His voice is so ashamed and so genuine that Mantis completely forgives him the second he starts speaking. She offers him a tiny smile, which he returns shakily. 

Peter looks around at everyone. "I'm going to sleep, now. I - you... I'll, uh, see you all tomorrow," he announces. Then, looking at the floor, he mumbles, "thank you". 

Gamora lays a hand on his shoulder, and the two exchange a look.

As he walks away, the remaining group watches him. He has none of the usual pep in his step. His shoulders and hunched and his feet drag. Peter is usually so exuberant and youthful. It is heartbreaking to see him as if he is an old man.

Everyone's attention turns back to Rocket, who had his arms crossed. He does not look willing to go anywhere any time soon. 

Drax is ready for a fight when suddenly, he feels Groot's little fists hammering on his shoulder, a sure sign that he wants down. The shouting must have woken him, thinks Drax as he lifts the tiny tree down from his shoulder. 

Groot looks up at Rocket and says, very firmly, "I am Groot." Then, he holds his little arms up like he always does when he wants to be picked up. 

Rocket sighs and scoops Groot up, and leaves the room without a word. Gamora watches them go, and thinks that they are lucky Groot woke up. She doesn't know what Groot said, but she is certain that he's the only one who could have convinced Rocket to go.

***

The ship is nearly silent, besides the normal whirring and beeping that are constantly present on a moving ship. Drax, Mantis, and Gamora sit silently as they draw ever closer to Berhert. 

***

When they finally land on the forest planet, the air is still, and the planet's moons are still just visible in the light of dawn. The still-ruined Milano lies just a few feet ahead. Gamora leads the way towards the wreckage and instantly seats herself on some sort of mangled metal outcropping. As the others arrive, it becomes evident that nobody got a wink of sleep, even the ones that were forcibly sent to bed. Kraglin is swaying on the spot, and Peter is staring intently down at his hands. Rocket leans against a nearby tree, his fur all matted and sticking up. 

Drax and Gamora share a look, but say nothing. 

"Alright," Peter says, breaking the silence, "Let's, uh, get to work, then".

The rest of the day is spent by essentially completely rebuilding their ship. Gamora thinks that physical labour is the very last thing anyone should be doing right now, but as she watches Peter carry a huge metal sheet towards one of the Milano's wings, she realizes that it serves as a distraction. She wonders how long these boys will resist sleep.

***

Over a late supper of some roasted local animal, Drax and Mantis sit close together, whispering. Berhert's moons are only slivers tonight, and the only light source is the feeble and flickering fire that the team sits around now. As everyone is finishing up their dinner, if you can really call it that, Mantis timidly stands. 

She takes a deep breath. When she speaks, her voice is quiet but sure.

"We need sleep. Real sleep. I know that none of us got any rest last night, and I know that this is because of everything we have been through. I want to help."

After she finishes, Mantis looks around the circle. Drax is nodding behind her. 

Gamora is certain there will be objections. She knows that Peter will be hesitant. She knows Rocket would never agree.

Gamora is proven wrong.

Peter looks up at Mantis with tears in his eyes. "You would do that for us?"

"Of course."

At this, Peter jumps up and gives Mantis a huge hug that lifts her right off her feet. 

***

A little while later, everyone is jammed into the common area of the Milano. The ship is still only half rebuilt, and with an extra two people in this room it is very cramped, but nobody cares. They've pulled all the blankets and mats and cushions they could amass and piled them on the floor. 

Mantis uses her powers to first ease Peter into sleep, and then Kraglin. Drax is still amused by the way they fall asleep so fast, and asks Mantis to do it to him again. Gamora is nestled down under a huge fuzzy blanket, already half asleep from days of physical exertion. Groot is asleep in Rocket's arms. 

For a few moments, Rocket and Mantis stare at each other in a tense stalemate. Drax is snoring and Peter's mumbling contentedly in his sleep. 

Rocket hates admitting defeat. He hates being weak. But he also hates spending an entire night tossing and turning and re-living past horrors. He sighs and walks towards Mantis.

"Fine. Do they sleep-thingy!"

Mantis lights up. She still thinks Rocket is the cutest little thing ever, despite having seen him shoot people and build bombs. 

Rocket sees her pure delight and thinks, fuck it, might as well throw his last bit of dignity out the window. "Sit down and I guess you can, you know, pet me or whatever. But tell anyone else, and I'll deny it. And also shoot you out the airlock."

This is too much for Mantis. She flaps her wrists and beams at Rocket, and then flops onto the ground and pats her lap. Rocket is too tired to be humiliated at this point to complain (also, though he won't admit it, he's happy someone seems to care about him so much). 

Rocket falls into the most content sleep he's had in a long time and Mantis brushes the fur between his ears.

Eventually, she herself grows sleepy, and leans her head back against the wall.

The Milano is half-destroyed, and its entire crew of occupants just went through an intense and traumatic experience. But, as the stars begin to shine over the peaceful planet of Berhert, the Guardians of the Galaxy have the best sleep of their lives.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! Sorry for the long absence, I've been busy with university! I'm still working through my other fic, don't worry! Just got this idea and I thought it was so cute, I had to write it. Sorry if it's lame lmaooo... comments are greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading :)


End file.
